Description

This book looks at the period 2015-18 in French politics, a turbulent time that witnessed the apparent collapse of the old party system, the taming of populist and left-wing challenges to the Republic and the emergence of a new political order centred on President Emmanuel Macron. The election of Macron was greeted with relief in European chancelleries and appeared to give a new impetus to European integration, even accomplishing the feat of making France attractive after a long period of French bashing and reflexive decline. But what is the real significance of the Macron presidency? Is it as transformative as it appears? Emmanuel Macron and the two years that changed France provides a balanced answer to this pressing question. It is written to appeal to a general readership with an interest in French and European politics, as well as to students and scholars of French politics.

Contents

Foreword by Robert Elgie
Preface
Introduction: two years that changed France
Part I: Out with the old
1 2016: François Hollande's annus horribilis
2 Bye bye Mr Sarkozy, hello Mr Nobody
3 The socialists in search of survival
Part II: A spring revolution
4 Of volcanoes and earthquakes: looking back at the 2017 presidential and parliamentary elections
5 Macron's political leadership
6 Global Macron
Conclusion: Emmanuel Macron and the remaking of France
Index

Author

Alistair Cole is Professor of Comparative Politics at the Institute of Political Studies, Lyon and Professor of Politics at Cardiff University